Laguna Colorada
As if to make sure our minds were properly blown, we arrived at the grand dame of lagoons, Laguna Colorada (Red lagoon). A brilliantly red shallow salt lake dotted with flamingos. The blood red waters, interlaced with white borax, was an awe-inspiring sight.
Árbol de Piedra
En route to our hotel, we made a brief stop at Arbol de Piedra (“Stone Tree”), a rock formation whittled into the shape of a tree by wind in Desierto de Siloli. Beats me how a bunch of rocks came to rest in the middle of a barren desert.
Thoughts for the day:
The images of the day are permanently etched in my brain. Southwestern Bolivia has got to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in my life. A proverbial visual feast. And we haven’t even reached the salt flats.
A word of caution regarding the altitude. If you are coming from San Pedro Atacama, you will climb over 2000m in one day. Do not discount the possibility of altitude sickness if you have never been this high before (over 4,000m). If you are susceptible, the entire trip might be ruined. I never thought that X, who is way fitter than me, would be the one to go down with altitude sickness. He spent most of the day lying in the car, barely able to move, only opening his eyes at selected moments to glance at the attractions (I’m so glad we took a private tour). Might be wise to bring meds and check if the hotels/hostels you will be staying at have oxygen.
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